Chimborazo Elementary Newsletter
December 2018
Principal's Message
Parents and Community Stakeholders,
November was an amazing month! I cannot think of a superlative that is strong enough to describe our Chimborazo Annual Thanksgiving. I do know, like everything at Chimborazo, we continue to reflect and refine what we do on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis and this event was evidence of that. I enjoyed seeing all our Chimborazo family together, and our parents and students are just a few of the things I am thankful for in life. This past month, we also saw Mr. Fisher, our math specialist, recognized as one of the finalists for RPS Teacher of the Year. This is the second year in a row we have had a finalist from our school and is a testament to the quality of teachers we have at Chimborazo.
Switching gears, today was a fantastic way to start the month of December as I was able to participate in the Dominion Christmas Day parade with some of our dedicated teachers and student leaders from our Safety Patrol, National Elementary Junior Honor Society, SCA, and ambassadors from Community of Caring. Again, in alignment with our school theme, we continue to navigate our educational waters to create great readers and leaders. Our students have many talents and these will be showcased this upcoming week as our our 5th graders prepare to defend their Dancing in the Classrooms Championship for the third consecutive year. Also, SCA elections will be held this week as we continue to foster and nourish our existing and aspiring leaders at our school. Please be sure to read the other impending events this abbreviated month for events and our theme for " Holiday Spirit Week" below.
In the month of December, we only have 13.5 instructional days, and we will work to make the most of them. We need to ensure we are not counting the days but making everyday count. This is applicable at school and at home. Interims will come out before Winter break and you may see some changes to grades as the rigor and grade level demands begin to increase. For example, 2nd grade had their assessments read to them in reading in the first quarter and that is not longer an applicable practice. The first half of the first 9 weeks, to some extent, was spent establishing routines and expectations and taking diagnostic assessments to see where our children stand academically. If you find that there is a change in your child's academic standing, work with the teacher to see what you can do to support your child at home. Devoting time at night to read to your child, have them read to you, work on mathematic material, and supporting with homework are all contributions that will enable our students to succeed. I thank you for this support. Teachers are working industriously to ensure our students are achieving mastery on each unit the students undergo and remediating accordingly. If students are achieving mastery in each unit of the multiple content areas, then those who take SOLs will achieve successful results. Our students who are not in a standardized testing grade will transition smoothly when they do reach 3rd grade. Third grade is the grade level when state-wide testing begins.
We will continue our work in making Chimborazo Elementary a pillar of academic excellence that produces young men and women who have the academic aptitude and character to make a positive difference in our community and in our world. We will set the standard for other schools to emulate. Have an amazing holiday! Our Chimborazo Jaguars will be missed when they begin break on the afternoon of the 20th.
Respectfully,
Mr. Peck
Perfect attendance
Chimborazo Thanksgiving
2018 Chirstmas parade
Member of our safety patrol, honor society, SCA, and ambassadors of our Community of Caring participated in the 35th annual Dominion Christmas parade December 1st!
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December Events and Spirit Days
December 10th-14th
Holiday Spirit Week-
Monday, December 10th- Holiday head gear ( Wear you favorite holiday hat or antlers)
Tuesday, December 11th- (Tacky holiday sweater day)
Wednesday, December 12th- (Holiday socks Day)
Thursday, December 13th- (Festivus-Show your holiday spirit wearing holiday attire of your choice)
Friday, December 14th- (Pajama Day)
Saturday, December 1st
Dominion Christmas parade
Tuesday, December 4th
Mayor Stoney visit
Wednesday, December 5th
5 pm 5th grade Dancing in the Classroom Competition @Huguenot HS
Thursday, December 6th
2nd grade Blue Sky Field Trip
5:15 pm PTA meeting
Friday, December 7th
SCA election speeches
9:30 am Grades K-2 PBS Kids Book Drive
Saturday, December 8th
10 am March for More @MLK
Monday, December 10th
Fall Picture retakes
Tuesday, December 11th
4th grade Jamestown/Yorktown foundation visit
Wednesday, December 12th
2nd quarter interim reports
Friday, December 14th
1:30 pm School-wide spelling bee
Wednesday, December 19th
Junior Achievement in a Day visit for 4th and 5th grades
6 pm Winternational Peace on Earth event and concert
Thursday, December 20th
9:30 am Open High School Winter Project and event (All grades)
2 hour early dismissal
December 21st-January 2nd
Winter Break (No School)
Please consider joining PTA!
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Attendance matters
Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.
Box Tops
Look for the 10¢ Box Tops coupon on hundreds of your favorite products -- Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Ziploc, Kleenex, Hefty, and many more.
Cut out the coupons and ask your child to give them to their teacher. The more coupons you send in, the more money our school receives!
For more information, see http://www.boxtops4education.com/home .
Winter Holiday
One of the many things we can celebrate over the Winter holiday is the diversity and uniqueness of the celebrations and the traditions that are held close to our families. Regardless of what you celebrate during the holidays, I hope everyone has a wonderful break and the new year brings you happiness and success.
Respectfully,
Mr. Peck